Do you have to use a step-stool to reach your taller cabinet shelves? Do you have mobility issues that make it difficult or impossible to reach cabinet shelves? If this sounds like you, or if you’re interested in making your kitchen more universally accessible for visitors, you can swap your conventional shelves with pull-down cabinet inserts.
You can swap out your regular shelves yourself
Pull-down shelves are inserts that are made to fit inside your existing cabinets, so they’re not very difficult to swap out. They are designed to move forward and down to reduce the reach required to get things from hard to reach spots in the back of the cabinet. They’re particularly great for the awkward higher shelves that even people with full mobility have trouble reaching, and they can be added to almost any other cabinet in the kitchen.
Everything you need to install pull-down cabinet inserts yourself:
Measure before you buy
Before you shop for cabinet inserts, you’ll need to measure the depth and width of the cabinets you want to add pull-downs to. You will also need to measure the opening at the front of your cabinets if it’s different from the overall width of the shelves (say, do to the way the doors are hung, for example). When ordering, take into account any appliances or other objects that might interfere with the insert’s operation—you’ll need about 30 inches of clear space the front of the cabinet.
If you have standard sized cabinets, you can likely use a pre-made insert that matches the interior dimensions of the cabinet. For custom cabinets or cabinets in an older home, you might be able to find something close that fits, or you might need to call the manufacturer to see if they can make a custom insert.
Remove your old shelves
Once you have your shelf inserts, begin the installation process by removing the shelves from inside the cabinet that you want to replace. Some shelves will be held on with fasteners attached with screws and others will simply be resting on pegs. Remove all of the existing shelf hardware to make way for the new pull-down shelves.
Test-fit and mark your hardware location
Most pull-down shelves come ready to mount to the bottom of your cabinet with screws or mounting hardware located at the base of the insert, while others are designed to mount to the sides of the cabinet. Whichever type of insert you have, place the insert in the cabinet before attempting to install to make sure it fits correctly. Use a pencil to mark the places where the hardware will go so you can pre-drill the holes to mount it.
Remove the insert and, using a small pilot bit, drill your mounting holes. It’s a good idea to use a drill bit collar or wrap a few layers of tape around the bottom of your bit to keep from accidentally drilling all the way through the wall or floor of the cabinet. Measure the thickness of the cabinet and then limit the depth of your drill bit to about an eighth of an inch shy of that measurement.
Install your pull-down inserts and enjoy easier access to the stuff in your cabinets
Put the pull down shelves back into the cabinet and use the provided hardware from the manufacturer to attach to the bottom of the cabinets. Do a test run of the insert before putting anything on the shelves to make sure they work smoothly. Now you can reorganize your shelves and use the pull-down for easier access to all your kitchen goods.
